Serves: 10
Total Calories: 186

1 recipe Basic Whole-Wheat Dough
1 cup stone-ground durum whole wheat flour in a medium bow or a pie dish, for coating and dusting
Rolling pin
3 to 4 tablespoons melted ghee or butter, for basting (optional)

1. Heat the tava or griddle over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of the flour immediately turns dark brown. Wipe off the flour and proceed. While the tava is heating, with lightly oiled hands, divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 round balls and cover with foil to prevent drying.

2. Working with each ball separately, place it in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips and coat well with flour. Then transfer it to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface, and, with a rolling pin, roll it into a 6-7-inch circle of uniform, thickness. If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust lightly with more flour. (Chapatis can be rolled on a lightly floured surface also, though this is not a common practice in India.)

3. Place the rolled chapati on the hot tava and turn it over when it is dotted with tiny golden dots on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Once the other side is covered with larger brown dots, turn it over again. Soon the chapati will start to puff up. With the help of a small clean kitchen towel crumpled into a ball, press lightly on the puffed parts and gently guide and push the air into the flatter parts until the whole chapatti puffs up into a round ball. (Your first few puffing attempts may not be successful, but don't be disheartened the taste the texture will still be wonderful.) Transfer to a plate, baste lightly with the ghee, if using (and crumble it if you wish), and serve hot.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 10
Total Calories: 186
Calories from Fat: 30

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Breads and Crepes
Baked Semolina Breads
Basic Deep-Fried Puffed Breads
Basic Griddle-Fried Breads
Basic Oven-Grilled Leavened Breads
Basic Rajasthani Rolls
Basic South Indian Rice and Bean Crepes
Basic Stuffed Griddle-Fried Breads
Basic Whole-Wheat Dough
Cauliflower Parantha Stuffing
Crispy Chickpea Flour Crepes
Daikon Radish Parantha Stuffing
Deep-Fried Bengali-Style Flour Breads
Deep-Fried Leavened Flour Breads
Deep-Fried Puffed Breads with Ajwain Seeds
Deep-Fried Puffed Breads with Fresh Spinach
Deep-Fried Puffed Breads with Mint (or Fenugreek)
Deep-Fried Stuffed Puffed Breads
Deep-Fried Sweet Saffron Puffed Breads
Flavored Deep-Fried Puffed Breads
Griddle-Cooked Flour and Potato Bread for Spicy Wraps
Griddle-Fried Chickpea Flour Breads
Griddle-Fried Flaky Onion Breads
Griddle-Fried Gujarati Fenugreek Breads
Griddle-Fried Layered Green Chile Pepper Breads
Griddle-Fried Layered Mint, Ajwain, and Black Pepper Breads
Griddle-Fried Leavened Breads
Griddle-Fried Legume Breads
Griddle-Fried Millet Breads
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Griddle-Fried Oat Breads with Ajwain Seeds
Griddle-Fried Opo Squash Breads
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Multi-Flour Griddle Breads
My Healthy Griddle-Fried Mashed Potato Breads
Oven-Grilled Breads with Dried Herbs and Spices
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Oven-Grilled Tofu Breads
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Potato Stuffed Baati Rolls
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